Chief Financial Officer in Birmingham

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is transforming the region, driving economic growth, creating jobs, delivering new homes, and improving journeys. Central to our work is the West Midlands Growth Plan, launched by Mayor Richard Parker in 2025, a 10-year blueprint to boost prosperity, create high-quality jobs, and raise living standards. By connecting national strategy with local delivery, we invest in people, businesses, infrastructure, and communities to maximise impact. Our goal is clear: grow the regional economy by £17 billion, positioning the West Midlands as a national leader in innovation, advanced manufacturing, and clean growth. We prioritise local needs, ensuring access to secure employment and safe, affordable housing. Every pound of public funding must deliver results; from major transport schemes to community grants, speed, efficiency, and inclusivity are essential.

The Role: As Chief Financial Officer, you will be WMCA's principal financial adviser and statutory Section 73 Officer, providing strategic leadership and stewardship of public funds. You will translate the Growth Plan's ambitions into actionable financial decisions, supporting delivery teams, the Portfolio Management Office, and Strategy & Policy functions. Strong regional relationships are essential, enabling collaboration with local authorities, businesses, and public agencies. Your leadership will ensure finance drives transformation, delivers public value, and maintains the highest standards of governance while remaining bold, innovative, and forward-looking.

Key Accountabilities:

• Act as the designated Section 73 Officer, providing authoritative financial leadership and ensuring statutory and internal compliance.
• Oversee sound financial stewardship, including accurate statutory reporting and transparent financial disclosures.
• Shape and implement financial strategy aligned with organisational goals and public priorities.
• Lead planning, setting, and monitoring of the annual budget, ensuring compliance with regulatory, government, and grant requirements.
• Direct strategic financial planning and performance management, optimising budgets and productivity.
• Provide insight and scenario modelling to inform high-level strategic decisions.
• Advise on risk management, investment, and new commercial ventures.
• Oversee financial operations, ensuring systems, processes, and teams are agile, commercially aware, and aligned with priorities.
• Collaborate with the Mayor, Members, and senior leaders to ensure robust governance and agile responses to economic, legislative, and political changes.
• Champion digital transformation within finance and across the organisation to enhance efficiency and transparency.
• Inspire and lead a high-performing, inclusive finance team, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Promote financial literacy across the organisation, equipping leaders with tools and insights for informed decisions.
• Build strong relationships with financial leaders across constituent authorities and stakeholders, promoting shared learning and best practice.
• Shape and influence organisational strategy, contributing to sustainability, innovation, inclusive growth, and digital transformation initiatives.
• Present assurance to ARAC and Overview & Scrutiny Committee on financial management and controls.

The Successful Candidate Will:

• Be a fully qualified accountant with membership of a recognised professional body and a relevant postgraduate qualification.
• Possess significant experience in a senior statutory finance role, ideally as a Section 73 or Section 151 Officer, with responsibility for financial leadership, governance, and stewardship of public funds.
• Have extensive knowledge of local government statutory frameworks.
• Demonstrate highly developed leadership skills, managing and shaping high-performing teams to deliver excellent outcomes.
• Have experience reporting to Senior Leaders and Elected Members.
• Be skilled in navigating sensitive political environments and managing diverse stakeholders.
• Possess extensive public sector financial management experience across finance, investment, and procurement functions relevant to a combined authority.
• Exhibit a track record of team leadership, empowerment, and motivation.
• Demonstrate confident decision-making and problem-solving in complex environments.
• Be a respected sector expert with a strong network, able to influence businesses, organisations, and stakeholders.
• Show political sensitivity and an ability to work across parties in the collaborative West Midlands public sector landscape.
• Possess excellent communication and influencing skills, conveying complex issues clearly to diverse audiences.
• Understand WMCA's strategic aims and the opportunities and challenges in developing regional policy.
• Demonstrate strong partnership skills to secure stakeholder commitment, sell ideas, articulate shared visions, and negotiate effectively.
• Have strategic awareness of WMCA's financial structure and the impact of decisions on value for taxpayers.
• Show proven ability to lead, influence, and challenge in fast-paced, high-pressure environments.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Local Government Pension Scheme (one of the most generous pension schemes in the UK).
• Shared Cost Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme where you can build an additional pot of money alongside your pension with contributions exempt from Income Tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs).
• 28 days paid annual leave (with an option to purchase more) + Statutory days.
• EV car benefit scheme.
• Healthcare plans.
• Discounted gym membership, will writing, and mortgage advice.
• An option to buy a bicycle, including e-bikes and adapted pedal cycles, at a discounted rate.
• 3 days of paid leave each year to volunteer.
• Interest-free financing through SmartTech to buy the latest technology.
• Discounted shopping with over 2,000 big-name retailers, and more.
• You can now also obtain a Costco membership through the WMCA.
• Boundless unlocks unlimited entry to top-rated UK attractions and loads of extra benefits and discounts.
• Eye Care Scheme, offering a free eye test and a financial contribution towards your glasses.

For more information, please visit the benefits page on our career site.

How to apply:

• Create your Careers Account.
• Register with your name, email address, and a password.
• Build your Profile. Upload your CV to help populate your career and education details.
• Write your Supporting Statement. Make sure to address each of the required essential criteria.
• Submit your application.
• Do one final check and once complete, click submit.

Anonymised Applications: Your uploaded CV won't be visible after submission. Our process is anonymised, and only the information in your profile is used for shortlisting. Be thorough in each section. It's your chance to showcase your skills and experience.

Using Artificial Intelligence (AI): We cannot stop anyone from using AI to help write application content. Used right, it can be a great tool. If you choose to use AI, then use it as a helper rather than relying on it wholly to write your application. Applications that rely too heavily on AI may be rejected during shortlisting. For help on how to write a supporting statement, please visit the FAQs section of our careers site.

Reasonable adjustments: If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition that means you might require changes to the application or recruitment process, please get in touch with our Recruitment Team.

Creating an inclusive workplace: WMCA holds diversity accreditations, such as the RACE Code Quality Mark, Armed Forces Covenant (Gold status) and has been recognised as one of the Inclusive Top 50 Employers and The Times Top 50 Employers for Women. We're a Disability Confident Employer with Leader status, committed to interviewing applicants with disabilities who meet all the essential role criteria. We recognise that certain groups, such as women and people of colour, may be less likely to apply for roles if they feel they do not meet all the requirements. However, we encourage individuals who are passionate about the role and want to make a difference to still apply. We value potential and encourage applicants to highlight their skills, including transferable ones, even if they don't fit the traditional 'perfect candidate' mould.

Right to Work in the UK: Proof of Right to Work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed. Non-UK applicants (excluding Ireland) would be required to hold a relevant Visa from the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).